Before I Go...

A while back I got tagged for a meme. I'm supposed to list seven weird or unusual facts about myself. Just seven huh? Well.... Here we go!

1. I've never been to Brooklyn; even though my name is Brooklynn.
I get asked that all the time, "Are you from Brooklyn?" Nope. Never been.

2. I was born in Hawaii and therefore thought I was Hawaiian until my
dear old Grandma set me straight. I'm actually Native American (Sioux),
Romanian (Gypsies, not Vampires), German, and a little African.
It's hard to tell the difference when you're seven.

3. I was raised by my Mother and her parents in Bismarck North Dakota. I can dance a mean polka, shovel a driveway like no-body's business, and I sure do say "dontchya know" and "yeah, you betchya".

4. When I was eight my Mother, Brother, Grandparents and I went down to Tennessee on vacation and went to the Grand Ole Opry. Now around that time there was this running character "Shot Gun Sam" or something like that - anyways he was this puppet, and I really wanted one. I begged and begged and begged to go to a show so I could get a puppet. So we ended up going on this showboat deal that was like the Grand Ole Opry on water. It was pretty fun - lots of lights, country's greatest belting out tunes. I still have that puppet too.

5. I have 1 1/4" stretched holes in my ears. I get a lot of stares, but most people that know me are used to it by now. It's kind of a love it or hate it deal. I usually get asked if it hurts, or why I did it. For me it was sort of a 'meant to be' thing. I saw it, liked it, and then started doing it. It just felt right - I can't imagine myself without them now.

6. I was a pretty crazy teenager - drugs & rock-n-roll kinda stuff. So when I was 16 I got sent to reform school until I was 18. First it was in Costa Rica, and then Jamaica. They call it a "behavior modification program". Basically I was away from my family, and given minimal possessions and maximum rules. It was very strict, very hard, and very unforgiving. I won't go too much into it - but it really changed my outlook on life.

7. While I was in Jamaica in the before mentioned reform school Hurricane Ivan hit us directly. It was insane. Our school was evacuated to a hotel that could barely hold all of us, but it was mainland and high ground. For Four days and five nights I shared 1 hotel room with 14 other girls. We had no water, no AC, no power, and all we had to eat was bread and canned corned beef. I slept on a bed with 3 other girls. I was lucky - most had to sleep on the floor. When the storm hit we were scared shitless. Trees were being thrown around and the metal roof of the hotel even ripped off. But we were alive. When we made our way back to the school we got to see the devastation it was terrible. Think Katrina times five. It was amazing to see how resilient the people of Jamaica were though. If you had food to spare you gave it, shelter to spare you gave it. I feel like I was made a better person after I went through that. Petty things don't bother me as much as they used to.


Well there's a little look into my weird and unusual life.
So I'll leave you with this video.